Combined garment pocket and flap



1955) (a. o. DRIESBACH 2,528,044

COMBINED GARMENT POCKET AND FLAP Filed May 12, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVE N TO R 6125597 QDIP/ESBACA BY wo if Get, 33, 195@ G. o. DRIESBACH2,528,@44

COMBINED GARMENT POCKET AND FLAP Filed May 12, 1949 ZSheets-Sheet 2 IINVENTOR G/L BERT, QD/P/ESBAIQ/ ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITEDSTTES TNT OFFICE COMBINED GARMENT POCKET AND FLAP Gilbert 0. Driesbach,Robesonia, Pa., assignor to Publix Shirt Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York filaims. 1

The present invention relates to pocket structures for garments, and,more particularly, to a pocket and flap which are prejoined tofacilitate attachment to a garment, such, for example, as ashirt.

Garment pockets of the prior art, with a flap for covering the pocketopening, have been applied. to garments by stitching the pocket and theflap separately to the garment. This procedure involves a doublestitching operation, one for the pocket and another for the flap. Themost popular style of pocket for a garment, such for example as a mansshirt, is of the patch type. The flap extends over the pocket openingprovided between the material of the part of the shirt, for example, theshirt front to which the pocket is attached, and the patch. The patchand flap are usually provided with complementary closure means. Thelatter is usually a button and buttonhole. When the pocket and flap arehandled separately, as in some prior art constructions, there is atendency toward bulkiness, raw edge corners or seams, and a lack ofregister of the flap with the pocket when the flap is folded to providea closure for the pocket. Attempts have been made in the prior art tojoin the pocket and flap before it is attached to the garment. Theseattempts have taken the form of rather complicated structures which canbe assembled to garments only by using costly and time consumingattaching methods. In prior art structures involving joining of a flapand a pocket before it is assembled to a garment, the flap and pockethave a part, or parts in common, or the pocket is in the form of a pouchhaving an inner wall to whichthe flap is attached.

In accordance with the present invention, the flap and pocket are madeup initially as separate items which promotes ease of cutting andsewing. The flap and pocket are combined by a preliminary operationbefore the flap and pocket, so combined in accordance with theinvention, are assembled to the garment. The manner in which the flapand pocket are combined in accordance with the invention facilitates,rather than complicates, assembly of the finished pocket with thegarment.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide anovel combinedpocket structure for a garment, such, for example, as ashirt.

Another object of the present invention is to combine the flap andpocket patch for a garment pocket in such a manner that the combinedstructure can readily be set to a garment to pro- 2 vide a finishedpocket with a cooperating flap A further object of the invention is toprovide ,a pocket patch and pocket flap which are assembled or joined bya preliminary operation so that at least a portion of the pocket patchis received between facing layers of the flap.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pocket patch andpocket flap which are assembled or joined by a preliminary operation sothat the material of the pocket is fastened against the flap with orwithout a substantial overlap of the parts.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will, of course,become apparent and immediately suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art to which the invention is directed from a reading of thefollowing specification in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a com pleted garment pocket,embodying the present invention, with the fiap for the pocket in closedposition;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the pocket patch and fiap partsshown in assembled relationship in Fig. 1 prior to assembly;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the flap joined to the pocketpatch prior to assembly as a unitary part of a garment;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of the flap and pocket, the sectionbeing taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of the pocket, the section being takenon the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6' is a view similar to Fig. l but with the flapin open positionand showing another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation of the pocket patch and flap, shownin assembled relationship in Fig. 6, prior to assembly;

Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation of the fiap joined to the pocketpatch prior to assembly to a garment as shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in cross-section, the section being takenon line 99 of Fig. 8;

and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in cross-section, the section being takenon line Ill-40 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing, and for the present to Figs. 1 to 5 thereof,reference character It] designates part of a finished garment, a shirtfront, for example, to which a pocket is assembled. In the examplechosen to illustrate the invention in one of its forms, the pocketstructure, generally, is represented by a patch l2 which provides thefront wall of the pocket so that the garment part i constitutes theinside wall. A flap I4 is provided which serves as a closure for thepocket. If desired, fastening means in the nature of a button I6 andbuttonhole |8, as suggested in the dot-dash outline in Fig. 3, may beprovided. The flap, in addition to its covering function, also adds tothe finished appearance of the garment.

In providing the structure of Fig. 1 of the drawings, it is advantageousto insure the proper relationship between the patch l2 and the flap M.In accordance with the invention, and as stated above, the patch andflap are combined by a preliminary operation so that, although they areprepared separately, they may be handled together when they are appliedto the finished garment.

Fig. 2 of the drawings shows a flap l4 which is made up of two layers 2|and 22. The patch [2 is made up of a single piece of goods with the topportion 23 folded and held in place by a row of stitching 24. It will beunderstood that the patch l2 may be of any desired shape in outline andthat the top 23 may be a mere hem. Fig. 3 of the drawing, as well asFig. 1, shows the flap |4 after it is assembled with the layers 2| and22. This is clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing where it will be seenthat the layers 2| and 22 are joined along their edges by stitchin 28which also extends around the top and sides of the flap M as it is seenin Fig. 3. This may be readily accomplished by placing the layers 2| and22 together with their outside surfaces initially in contact and runningthe stitching 28 around three sides after which the flap is turnedinside out thereby concealing the stitches and causing the edge of theflap to present a finished appearance. The patch |2 is or may be turnedinwardly near the top of the edge 3| and the top of edge 30. Theconfiguration of the patch |2 is then as seen in Fig. 3, and it appears,therefore, to be slightly narrower adjacent its upper edge 34 which isdefined by the folded-over top 23 of the patch. The folded-over tops ofthe edges 3| and 30 are inserted between the inturned edges of thelayers 2| and 22 of the flap l4 and they may be held in this position,which is illustrated by Fig. 4 of the drawings, by means of row ofstitches 28. However, it will be understood that additional stitching orseparate stitches may be used to hold the tops of the edges 3| and 30between the layers 2| and 22 of the flap M. The steps so far described,provide an initial assembly of the patch and flap which is set to thepart In of the finished garment by a row 4| of stitches. This row ofstitches may be continuously applied and runs along three sides of thepatch I2 and along the flap H1 at a slight distance above the top of thepatch I2. The manner of securing the assembly of the patch and flap tothe garment may, of course, be varied considerably depending upon suchfactors as the desired finished appearance, the nature of the garmentand the desired relationship of the flap to the patch in the finishedgarment. Preferably, the edges of the patch l2, which are secured by thestitching 4|, are turned under so as to hide the raw edge of thematerial of the patch. This also has the effect of maintaining theexposed and apparent edges of the flap 2 in a straight line as shown inFig. 1. Otherwise, the patch i2 would appear against the garment part IDsomewhat as shown in outline of Fig. 3 of the drawing. The forming ofthe buttonhole I8 and the attachment of the button [6 may be carried outas separate operations each in connection with its respective part. Forexample, a quantity of patches l2 may be made up, each with a button l6located thereon in a position determined according to measurement. Theflaps |4 may be made up in quantity, each with a buttonhole l8 cut andstitched therein in accordance with a predetermined measurement. By thenovel procedure of the present invention, which involves initiallyjoining the patch and flap in a novel manner, complete registry of thebuttonhole with the button will be insured without any bulging ordistortion of the material due to a possible misplacement of the patchor flap each with respect to the other.

The complete structure, as shown in Fig. l of the drawing, exhibits noexposed raw edges and in effect, the top of the pocket is reinforced bythe structural features resulting from the method of the assembly. Ithas been pointed out also that the fastening means such as the buttonand buttonhole come into perfect register, and, also, the patch and flapare in their correct respective position on the garment.

Figs. 6 to 10 of the drawing illustrate a modification of the inventionwherein the patch, designated by reference character 44, is assembled tothe flap, designated by reference character 46, by wrapping a portion ofeach edge of the patch around the flap. There is no insertion of onepart between the other with the method and structure of Figs. 6 to 10.The flap 4B is shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings as being made up of twolayers 5| and 52 which are joined by a row of stitching 54. The patch asmay have its top portion 5% turned down as shown in Fig. 7 of thedrawing and held in place by a row of stitches 51. Fig. 8 discloses themanner in which the patch 44 is initially assembled to the flap 46. Thetops of the edges 59 and 6| of the patch 44 are turned inwardly orwrapped around the edges of the flap 4B. A row of stitching 62 connectsor tacks these parts together.

It will be understood that instead of the tops of the edges 59 and 6toverlapping or being wrapped around the flap, they may be joined theretowithout overlapping. The presently preferred construction is asillustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawing where there is some degree ofoverlapping or wrap.

The assembled patch and flap of Fig. 8 is set to garment portion 64(Fig. 6) which may, for example, be a shirt front, by a more or lesscontinuous row of stitches 68. The relationship of the sets of stitches54, 5'! and 68 is, or may be, somewhat as is clearly shown in Fig. 10 ofthe drawing which shows, in detail, not only the relationship of thelayers 5| and 52 of the flap 46, but, also, the relationship of the topof the patch 44 to the flap in the finished garment. It will beunderstood that suitable securing or fastening means such as a buttonand buttonhole or the like may be employed as described in con nectionwith Fig. 3 of the drawings.

What is claimed is: 1

1. A pocket for a garment, said pocket being of the type provided with acovering flap and comprising a patch part and a flap, said flapcomprising two plies of fabric joined along their edges, and said patchhaving inturned portions adjacent the top of each side edge, saidinturned portions being inserted between the plies of said flap andassembled thereto.

2. A pocket for a garment, said pocket being of the type provided with acovering flap and comprising a patch part and a flap, said flapcomprising two plies of fabric joined along their inturned edges, andsaid patch havinginturned portions adjacent the top of each side edge,said inturned portions being inserted between the plies of said flap andassembled thereto.

3. In a pocket structure for a garment, a flap, a patch, said flapcomprising two layers of fabric in interfacial engagement, said layershaving inturned edges joined by a row of concealed stitches, said patchhaving the top portions of its sides engaging said flap to provide apreassembled patch and flap, and a row of stitching securing said patchto said garment, said stitching extending along the bottom and sides ofsaid patch and, also, along the lower part of said flap in spacedrelationship with the top of said patch.

4. In a pocket structure for a garment, a flap, a patch, said flapcomprising two layers of fabric in interfacial engagement, said layershaving inturned edges joined by a row of concealed stitches, said patchhaving the top portions of its sides inserted between said layers ofsaid flap to provide a preassembled patch and flap, and a row 25 part ofsaid flap in spaced relationship with the top of said patch.

5. A garment having a pocket structure comprising a pocket patch and apocket flap; the method of joining said patch and said fiap to thegarment in correct relationship of each with respect to the othercomprising joining said patch to said flap along a portion only of eachof the two edges of said patch to form a preassembled structure with thepatch and flap in correct initial relationship, and thereafter securingsaid patch and flap to said garment by a, stitching operation performedin a manner effectively to secure both the patch and flap to thegarment.

GILBERT 0. DRIESBACH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 234,487 Marcus Nov. 16, 1880407,024 Miller July 16, 1889 2,038,331 Woolf Apr. 21, 1936 2,165,081Wald July 4, 1939 2,336,398 Horowitz Dec. 7, 1943

